Aircraft construction



7, 1944 c. w. sNYD'ER AIRCRAFT CONSTRUCTION Nom Filed June 3, 1939Patented Nov. 7, 1944 l.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE f 2,362,033 l I i AIRCRAFT CONSTRUCTIONCharlie Snyder, Washingtom D. C.,`assignor to Engineering and ResearchCorporation,

Riverdale, Md., a corporation of Maryland `Application June 3, 1939,Serial No. 277,215

3 Claims.

` This invention relates Ito' aircraft construction and moreparticularly to airplane wings and like supporting elements.

, One` of the objects of the invention is to pro `vide a wing which islight and strong and in which th'eload carryingelements of thawingprovide the desired airfoil shape. y Y

Another object of the invention is to provide an airplane wing in whichthe usual longitudinal shaping ribs are omitted.` According to animportant feature of the invention the 'shaping function of these ribsisperformed'by reinforcing members forminga part of the load carryingstructure of the wing.` y

Other objects, advantages and novel features l of the invention will be`apparent from theA folextending transversely to the line of flight andforming the principal transverse load carrying member.. The beam I isformed by a web I2 and upper and lower edge members I4 formed with aninwardly extending flange I6 and edge flanges I 8. YThe flange Iii issecured to the web I2 by rivets or the like along the length of the beamand at the inner end connector plates 20 spaced by washers 22 aresecured to the web I2 and flange I6 by bolts 24. The connector platesproject from the inner endv of the wing and serve to secure the beam I0to the airplane fuselage or to a center wing section.

A second beam 28 is arranged adjacent the trailing edge of the wing andas shown is formed as a triangular closed section beam.

The beams I0 and 28 are connected by a series of diagonal reinforcingmembers 30 arranged at acute angles to the beams with the ends ofadjacent members in the series 'meeting alternately at the beam I0 andthe beam 28. As best seen in Figure 3 the members 30 are overlapped attheir meeting ends adjacent th'e beam I0 and are riveted to the web I2as shown at 32. Preferably plates 34 are provided secured to the edgesof the reinforcing members and to the fiange IB by riveting `or the like`to fasten the rinforcing members more securely. The reinforcing membersmay be fastened to the beam 2B in a similar manner by suitablerivetingand by plates 36 secured to tbe beam and the reinforcing members.

According toone important feature of the invention, the upper andloweredges of the reinforcing members 36 are shaped to conform to an-airfoil sec-tion. That is, the edge shape is such vindicated at 40 andhaving flanged portions 42 riveted to the forward flange I8. The ribs 38are covered by a skin 44, preferably of sheet metal, overlying andsecured to the ribs and riveted to the forward flange I8. As bestseen inFigure ,2, the skin 44 extends over the top and forward portion of theleading edge structure and terminates short of the beam I0 on the lowersurface.

The upper, and lower wing surfaces are covered by a suitable skin 46which may be of metal or fabric or other suitable material as desired.The skin 46 is secured to the upper edge of beam Il) and extends at thebottom to the edge of skin 44. The skin 46 is secured to the edges ofthe reinforcing members by rivets, cement or other desired fasteningmeans and is shaped by the members 30 to form, with the leading edgestructure, an airfoil section. When a fabric covering is used itpreferably extends from the upper edge of beam 28 over the main beam I0and sheet 44 continuously to the lower edge of beam 28.

As shown in Figure 1, the end or tip of th'e wing is formed by a channelmember 48 securedA to the beams I0 and 28 and to reinforcing members 5B.The leading edge portion of the tip may be covered by a continuation ofthe skin 46 or by separate skin members 52. The rearward portion of thetip may similarly be covered by a continuation of the skin 46 or byseparate skin l other parts of an aircraft and that various changesmight be made therein without departing from the invention. It istherefore not intended to limit the scope of the invention toV the exactconstruction shown nor otherwise than by the terms of the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:

l. An airplane wing construction, comprising a spar extendinglongitudinally of the wing adjacent' its leading edge, a second sparextending longitudinally of the wing adjacent its trailing edge, theupper and lower edges of the spars be"l ing formed with anges lyingsubstantially in the upper and lower wing surfaces respectively,

a plurality of reinforcing members extending al-V ternately in oppositeacute angular directions between said spars to provide a triangulatedtruss structure, the ends of the reinforcing members being overlappedand secured to the webs of the spars and the upper and lower portions ofthe members extending between and being secured to the flanges and theedges of the reinforcing members being shaped to provide an airfoil wingsection, and continuous flexible skins secured at their opposite edgesto the flanges on the spars respectively and overlying and secured tothe edges of the reinforcing members between the spars,

2. An airplane .wing construction, comprising a spar extendinglongitudinally of the wing adjacent its leading edge, atsecond sparextending longitudinally of the wing adjacent its trailing edge, theupper and lower edges of the spars being formed with flanges lyingsubstantially in the upper and lower wing surfaces respectively, aplurality of reinforcing members extending alternately in opposite acuteangular directions between said spars to provide a triangulated trussstructure, the ends of the reinforcing members being overlapped andsecured to the, webs of the spars and the upper and' lowerb portions ofthe members extending between and being secured to the flanges and theedges of the reinforcing members being shaped to provide an airfoil wingsection, continuous flexible skins secured at their opposite edges tothe flanges on the spars respectively and overlying and secured to theedges of the reinforcing members between the spars, a leading edgestructure secured to the forward side of the first named spar, and atrailing edge structure secured to the rear side of the second spar.

3. An airplanewing construction, comprising a spar extendinglongitudinally of the wing adjacent its leading edge, a second sparextending longitudinally of the wing adjacent its trailing edge, theupper and lower edges of the spars being formed with flangeslyingsubstantially in the upper and lower wingsurfaces respectively, aplurality of reinforcing members extending alternately in opposite acuteangular directions between said spars to provide a triangulated trussstructure, the ends of the reinforcing members being overlapped andsecuredto the webs of the spars, plates overlying and secured to theedges of the reinforcing members adjacent their ends and tting under andsecured to the anges on the spars, the edges of the reinforcing membersbetween the spars being shaped to provide an airfoil section, andcontinuous flexible skins se-` cured at their opposite edges to theanges on the spars respectively and overlying and secured to the-edgesof the reinforcing members between the spars.`

CHARLIE W. SNYDER.

